Plastic plumbing wall

ABSTRACT

A wall unit having integrally formed surface panels and a foam core encloses supports and positions hot and cold water pipes and drain and vent piping along with electrical wiring. Window and door openings in said panel are defined by thin lightweight frames. The wall unit comprising a bearing wall dependent upon a rigid foam core with plastic facings.

United States Patent 0 Stahl 1 1 Dec. 26, 1972 s41 PLASTIC PLUMBING WALL 2,787,027 4 1957 Baker .52/34 x [72] Inventor: Joel S. Stalrl, 746 Golfview, Young- 3,221,454 12/1965 Togni ..52/34 X Stow Ohio 44512 3,239,982 3/1966 Nicosia ..52/309 3,343,314 9/1967 Smith ..52/6l5 X F'l d: A 10 97 m] l 0 FOREIGN PATENTS 0R APPLICATIONS [21] Appl. No.: 62,586

' 1,452,857 8/1966 France ..52/309 [52] US. Cl. ..l37l5ia4i7ig/l3s4,1552623; primary Examine,. Price p 1L 7 Art -W b t B. 51 lm. Cl. .1104: 17/08 e s Harpma [58] Field of Search ..52/34, 615, 220, 221, 309; p 137/594, 561 R, 375, 608; 4/211 [57] ABSTRACT I v A wall unit having integrally formed surface panels [56] Reierences Cited and a foam core encloses supports and positions hot and cold water pipes and drain and vent piping along UNITED STATES PATENTS with electrical wiring. Window and door openings in 3,402,520 9/1968 Lee et al ..52/615 x Said Panel are defined y thin lightweight frames- The 3,601,937 8/1971 Campbell ....52/220 X wall unit comprising a bearing wall dependent upon a 3,562,985 2/1971 Nicosia ....52/309 X rigid foam core with plastic facings. 3,503,167 3/1970 Mackie ....52I309 X 3,476,912 11/1969 Garrison ..-..52/220 X 3 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures PATENTED l1EB26 I972 SHEEI 1 BF 2 Iii INVENTOR JOEL S. STAHL ATTORNEY PATENTED BEE 2 6 I972 sum 2 BF 2 exam x mm I 2 w, VWMW/ 6 5 %//M/L F FIG. 4

A m a FIG. 6

INVENTOR. JOEL S. STAHL ATTORNEY BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1'. Field of the Invention This invention relates to wall units of the panel type prefabricated to include plumbing and wiring systems and/or door and window openings.

2. Description of the Prior Art Prior structures of this type have comprised frame constructions utilizing wooden studding and bracing with plywood or dry wall surface panels wherein the plumbing comprises sections of metal pipe and fittings assembled in the panel and supported by the frame structure and bracing therein and wherein the wiring is positioned through and carried by the frame structure.

This invention eliminates the framing and bracing and vent piping and 16 respectively. Additionally, electric wires or alternately tubular conduits 17 are positioned in the foam core 12 and extend to desirable outlet boxes 18 which are also positioned and supported by the foam core 12.

A window opening 19 is defined by a rectangular frame which as may beseen by referring to FIG. 3 of the drawings is a lightweight thin-wall suitably shaped frame which merely defines the window opening 19 as the bearing structure defining the frame about the win- .dow opening 19 as well as the plastic plumbing wall wooden studding and the like and the plywood and/or dry wall surface panels and utilizes plastic pipe and piping and plastic insulated wiring positioned directly in and supported by the rigid foam of the panel.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A plastic plumbing wall comprises a rigid foam core with integral surface panels wherein the foam core positions, holds and secures plastic pipes and piping for water and drain and vent lines and plastic insulated electrical wiring. The foam core and its integral plastic panels are structurally strong and form a bearing wall usable in a dwelling house and apartment house constructions. Connection means between the plumbing and wiring components of the wall units are provided and door and window openings are defined by lightweight non-bearing frames.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIGJl is a perspective view of the plumbing wall unit with parts broken away and parts in cross section.

FIG. 2 is an end elevation on line 2-2 of FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a vertical section through a portion of the panel illustrated in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a vertical section through a mold and a por- DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT In its simplest form the plastic plumbing wall dis-.

closed herein comprises a bearing wall unit usable as an interior or exterior wall or partition. The plastic plumbing wall is formed in panel like units which are structurally strong, weather proof and have a very high degree of sound and heat insulation value.

By referring to the drawings and FIG. 1 in particular it will be seen that a plastic plumbing wall unit has been illustrated as comprising an exterior surface 10 and an interior surface 11 spaced by an integrally formed foam core 12. The foam core 12 positions and supports hot and cold water pipes 13 and 14 respectively and drain unit itself comprises the foam core 12 and its integral surface panels 10 and 11.

In one embodiment of the plastic'plumbing wall unit the foam core 12 is a rigid synthetic resin foam such as polyurethane or polyvinlchloride and the surface panels 10 and 11 are synthetic resin such as polyester reinforced with glass fiber. Alternately the surface panels may be polyvinylchloride sheets. The hot and cold water pipes 13 and 14 and the drain and vent piping 15 and 16 respectively are advantageously formed of polyvinylchloride and chlorinated polyvinylchloride tubing. The electrical wiring may obviously comprise electrical conductors having tubular jackets of polyvinyl chloride or the duct works in which the electrical conductors may be later positioned may be formed of polyvinyl chloride tubing as may be the outlet boxes 18 which form part of the electrical system.

In forming the plastic plumbing wall unit disclosed herein the hot and cold water pipes 13 and 14 and the drain and vent piping l5 and 16 and the electrical wiring 17 including the outlet boxes 18 and the window frame 20 are positioned in desired relation between carrier sheets of plastic film which support gel like layers of polyester resins which, as hereinbefore noted, may be glass fiber reinforced. The polyurethane foam is then introduced into the panel cavity so as to surround the piping and wiring which makes the entire wall unit an integral structure. The wall unit is formed in suitably shaped molds which insure that all the piping and electrical outlets are in the exact required locations in the wall surface.

A 8 X 8 foot plastic plumbing wall unit complete with plumbing and wiring as disclosed herein weighs approximately pounds and can therefore be easily handled both in its manufacture and subsequent installation in a construction project. It is obvious that if desired the plastic plumbing wall unit can be formed in 4 X 8 foot panels which complete with plumbing and wiring as necessary in a typical plumbing wall would weigh about 50 pounds. Panel thicknesses of approximately six inches are desirable and when such wall units are used as exterior walls they provide approximately SOO'percent more thermal insulation than four inches of fiber glass insulation as heretofore commonly used in frame exterior wall constructions.

In order that the hot and cold water pipes and the drain and vent piping can be carried from one wall unit to another, each of the ends of the hot and cold water pipes and drain and vent piping as for example in the edges of the plastic plumbing wall unit as shown in FIG. 1 of the drawings are formed with enlarged sockets 21 in which sleeves 22 having an external diameter engageable in the sockets 21 are positioned so that a tubular connection extends out of the edge of one panel directly connected to one another.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention as hereinbefore disclosed the surface panels 10 and II are integrally formed with the core'1'2 and by referring to FIGS. 4 and. 5 of the drawings, cross sectionsof portions of the panels in mol'ds maybe seen. In FIGS. 4 and 5 of the drawings, the molds are indicated by the numerals 23 and, are shown with cellophane sheets 24 forming liners therein. Gel like layers 25 of polyester resin partially set, which may include glass fiber reinforcing mats, are formed on the plastic sheets 24 and thereby spaced from the inner opposed surfaces of the mold parts 23. I

The plumbing components, wiring components and window frames are held in position between the'gel layers 25 by fixtures 26 or the like in the mold and the same is then ready for the introduction of thefoam core.-

By referring to FIG. 5 of the drawings the foam core 12 will be seen to have been introduced as by a foaming in .place procedure which will be familiar to. those skilled in the art. Onesuch'acceptable method comprises inserting tubular foam delivery members into the cavity to be filled introducing the foaming resin therethrough while withdrawing the same. In such procedures openings in appropriate portions of the molds are necessary to permit the insertion and withdrawing of the foam introducing members.

In the formation of the plastic plumbing wall unit as disclosed herein the rigid polyurethane foam core 12 bonds integrally with the polyester surface panels and 11 which in their initial form as positioned in the molds 23 comprise the gel layers 25 as hereinbefore described.

It will occur to those skilled in the art that by forming the plumbing components of lightweight flexible polyvinyl chloride and chlorinated polyvinyl chloride resins there is no need of the usual pipe fittings as the sections of pipes and piping are simply shaped and desirably located and so held while the plastic plumbing wall unit is formed as hereinbefore described whereupon the plumbing units, the wiring and the window frames become an integral part of the wall unit.

It will further occur to those skilled in the art that the finish of the surface panels 10 and 11 may be shaped,

textured, colored and otherwise decorated as desired. As shown in FIG. 1 of the drawings a vertically chan-. neled exterior surface 10 is disclosed which is particularly suitable for an exterior wall surface. Alternately, the channels may be reversed so that the exterior surface has the appearanceof board andbatten construction. 7

While the embodiment of the invention described and illustrated di lrgses the inte ral ormation o the surface panels an 0am core, 1 W11 occur to tose skilled in'the art that advantages of the plastic plumbing wall unit may be obtained byusing conventional surface panels such as plywood, hardboard or sheets of metal or preformedplastic and assembling the plumbing and wiring and window components therein and then foaming the core in place therebetween to form the completed wall unit.

Although but one embodiment of the present invention has been illustrated and described it willbe ap parent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without-depart ing from the spirit of the invention and having thus described my invention what I claim is: t

1. A plastic plumbing wall unit having spaced surface sections and a foam core therebetween, hot and cold water pipes and drain and vent piping positioned in said foam core and supported thereby, sockets formed on the ends of said pipes and piping, tubular members positioned in said sockets so as to form couplings with similar sockets in similar adjacent wall units, said surface sections and foamcore comprising an integral load bearing wall unit.

2. An integral load bearing plastic plumbing wall unit comprising a rigid foam core and integral surface sheets, plastic hot and cold water pipes and plastic drain and vent piping embedded in said foam core and integrally bonded thereto, said pipes and piping serving both to convey fluids and to reinforce said wall unit, said pipes and piping having end portions extending to the edges of said wall units for connection thereto of other pipes and piping, said end portion of said pipes and piping having sockets therein and tubular members sealed in said sockets to form coupling means for connection with similar sockets in similar adjacent wall units.

3. A plastic plumbing wall unit having spaced surface sections and a foam core therebetween, hot and cold water pipes; drain and vent piping and tubular conduits for electric wires positioned in said foam core and supported thereby, sockets formed in the ends of said pipes, piping and conduits, tubular members positioned in said sockets so as toforrn couplings with similar sockets in similar adjacent wall units, said surface sections and foam core forming an integral load bearing wall unit. 

1. A plastic plumbing wall unit having spaced surface sections and a foam core therebetween, hot and cold water pipes and drain and vent piping positioned in said foam core and supported thereby, sockets formed on the ends of said pipes and piping, tubular members positioned in said sockets so as to form couplings with similar sockets in similar adjacent wall units, said surface sections and foam core comprising an integral load bearing wall unit.
 2. An integral load bearing plastic plumbing wall unit comprising a rigid foam core and integral surface sheets, plastic hot and cold watEr pipes and plastic drain and vent piping embedded in said foam core and integrally bonded thereto, said pipes and piping serving both to convey fluids and to reinforce said wall unit, said pipes and piping having end portions extending to the edges of said wall units for connection thereto of other pipes and piping, said end portion of said pipes and piping having sockets therein and tubular members sealed in said sockets to form coupling means for connection with similar sockets in similar adjacent wall units.
 3. A plastic plumbing wall unit having spaced surface sections and a foam core therebetween, hot and cold water pipes; drain and vent piping and tubular conduits for electric wires positioned in said foam core and supported thereby, sockets formed in the ends of said pipes, piping and conduits, tubular members positioned in said sockets so as to form couplings with similar sockets in similar adjacent wall units, said surface sections and foam core forming an integral load bearing wall unit. 